Ramakrishna Paramahamsa & Bijoy Krishna Goswami experience ananda at Ariadaha

Jai Nitai!

I was told the following story from a gurubhai about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Bijoy Krishna

Goswami. My gurubhai heard it directly from the lips of the pujari at Das Gadadhar’s Sripat.

Goswamiji was visiting with Ramakrishna Parmahamsa in his parlor at Dakshineshwar, and during the

course of their conversation he expressed some  disappointment and heaviness of heart. Bijoy Krishna

Goswami was highly advanced on the yoga-marg, but he was not satisfied. Sri Ramakrishna knew about

the background of Goswamiji–that he was a direct decsendent of Sri Advaita Acharya and grew up in a

Vaisnava family. He knew that his natural disposition is that of a bhakta of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar. He

also knew what Goswamiji needed to feel whole and happy again.

Ramakrishna suggested they go for a walk. Goswamiji had no idea where they were going, but that was of

no consequence to him. He was simply enjoying his company. Ramakrishna brought him to an area not so

far away known as Ariadaha. It is the Sripat of Das Gadadhar and there is a Mandir of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar. When they arrived at the mandir the doors of the deities rooms were shut and locked.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa yelled out for the pujari, but no one was responding. After some time

Ramakrishna closed his eyes and entered samadhi and with his mystic siddhis he made all the doors open

up, thus providing darshan for Goswamiji and himself. When Vijaya Krishna Goswami saw the beauty of

Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar he became lost in rapture and his heart became filled with divine love. His

dormant bhakti was awakened by the mercy of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna. Soon after this event, Sri Bijoy

Krishna Goswami abandoned the yoga-marg and began practicing suddha-bhakti in Brindavan.

The lila of Bijoy Krishna Goswami’s life illustrated the supremecy of bhakti. He was not just an ordinary

practioner stumbling from one path to the next, but he mercifully demonstrated the topmost goal of human

endeavour, prema for Sri Sri Radhey Shyam. He attained siddhi in karma, jnana, and yoga, but he did not

become fully satisfied until he acheived siddhi in prema-bhakti.

Now that we find ourselves at the Sripat of Das Gadadhar I will share a little information and katha related

to this place. I have been here several times in the past. It is a beatiful, quiet location on the bank of the

Ganga in an otherwise boisterous part of Kolkata. Several times I have stayed at my gurubhai, Subrata Ji’s

inlaw’s home which is approximately midway between Dakshineshwar Kali Mandir and Ariadaha Path Bari,

as it is otherwise known, thus providing me with ample time to visit both places to my full satisfaction.

When Mahaprabhu sent Nityananda to Bengal to preach, Das Gadadhar was among those who

accompanied him. Their first stop was Ariadaha where they stayed for about two months. Das Gadadhar was a very close

associate of Nitai-Gaura, and was one of the few of Nityananda’s associates that were not in sakhya-rasa. He

was in Sakhi-bhav and in Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika he is described as the effulgence of Canrakanti Sakhi’s body and a partial expansion of Purnananda Sakhi.

At the mandir Das Gadadhar there is a gorgeous murti of Sri Bala Gopla which belonged to him. Nitaichand picked up Bala Gopal from the altar and held him to his chest and danced in rapture! Nitai began to roar while blissfully dancing with Gopal.

One time Madhavananda Ghosa began to perform kirtan describing Krsna’s dana-lila.

The sweet singing of Madhavananda and the poetic descriptions

of the dana-lila made Nitaichand exhibit all of the sattvika-bhavas within

His body simultanously as He danced like one intoxicated. The gestures He

made while dancing were like flashes of lightning; His arms and legs moved with

unparalleled grace. His highly expressive eye movements, His sweet smiling,

wild laughter, and the shivering and quaking of His head, provided a feast

for ears and eyes of the Vaisnavas. Bringing His two beautiful lotus feet

together, He would then jump in such a way that completely captivated ones

mind. Whomever He would glance at would find themselves floating in an ocean of

Krishna-prema, and by His merciful glance they forgot about the

existence of their physical body. The level of spiritual rapture that is sought by

great yogis and rishis was attained that day by the ordinary men and women of

Ariadaha, just by witnessing Nitai’s prema-bhakti for Sri Krishna.

Nityananda Prabhu organized the event of Dana lila in the house of

Das Gadadhar. The temple was established by Das Gadadhar, and the site of the Dana lila,

Das Gadadhar’s bhajan ashram, and his memorial samadhi can all be seen there today.

There is also a small kund named Nityananda Sarovar behind the mandir. The mandir features the deities of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar, Sri Bala Gopal, Sri Sri Nitai Gaura, and Nityananda Shakti Sri Jahnava

Thakurani.

The deities are all exceedingly stunning and gorgeous. Nitai is Gaura’s older brother and at this mandir so Nitai is much larger, therefore more capable of taking care of His younger brother, Sri Gaurhari. What can I say about Sri Jahnava Ma (Ananga Manjari) ? Her beauty is simply breathtaking!

Jai Nitai!

I was told the following story from a gurubhai about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami. My gurubhai heard it directly from the lips of the pujari at Das Gadadhar’s Sripat.

Goswamiji was visiting with Ramakrishna Parmahamsa in his parlor at Dakshineshwar, and during the course of their conversation he expressed some  disappointment and heaviness of heart. Bijoy Krishna Goswami was highly advanced on the yoga-marg, but he was not satisfied. Sri Ramakrishna knew about the background of Goswamiji–that he was a direct descendant of Sri Advaita Acharya and grew up in a Vaisnava family. He knew that his natural disposition is that of a bhakta of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar. He also knew what Goswamiji needed to feel whole and happy again.

Ramakrishna suggested they go for a walk. Goswamiji had no idea where they were going, but that was of  no consequence to him. He was simply enjoying his company. Ramakrishna brought him to an area not so far away known as Ariadaha. It is the Sripat of Das Gadadhar and there is a Mandir there of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar. When they arrived at the mandir the doors of the deities rooms were shut and locked. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa yelled out for the pujari, but no one was responding. After some time Ramakrishna closed his eyes and entered samadhi and with his mystic siddhis he made all the doors open up, thus providing darshan for Goswamiji and himself. When Vijaya Krishna Goswami saw the beauty of  Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar he became lost in rapture and his heart became filled with divine love. The bhakti lying dormant in his heart was awakened by the mercy of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna. Soon after this event, Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami abandoned the yoga-marg and began practicing suddha-bhakti in Brindavan.

The lila of Bijoy Krishna Goswami’s life illustrated the supremacy of bhakti. He was not just an ordinary practioner stumbling from one path to the next, but he mercifully demonstrated the topmost goal of human endeavour, prema for Sri Sri Radhey Shyam. He attained siddhi in karma, jnana, and yoga, but he did not become fully satisfied until he acheived siddhi in prema-bhakti.

Now that we find ourselves at the Sripat of Das Gadadhar I will share a little information and katha related to this place. I have been here several times in the past. It is a beautiful, quiet location on the bank of the Ganga in an otherwise boisterous part of Kolkata. Several times I have stayed at my gurubhai, Subrata Ji’s inlaw’s home which is approximately midway between Dakshineshwar Kali Mandir and Ariadaha Path Bari, as it is otherwise known, thus providing me with ample opportunity to visit both places with ease to my full satisfaction.

When Mahaprabhu sent Nityananda to Bengal to preach, Das Gadadhar was among those who accompanied him. Their first stop was Ariadaha where they stayed for about two months. Das Gadadhar was a very close associate of Nitai-Gaura, and was one of the few of Nityananda’s associates that were not in sakhya-rasa. He was in Sakhi-bhav and in Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika he is described as the combination of the effulgence of Candrakanti Sakhi’s body and a partial expansion of Purnananda Sakhi.

At the mandir of Das Gadadhar there is a gorgeous murti of Sri Bala Gopal which belonged to him. Nitaichand picked up Bala Gopal from the altar and held him to his chest and danced in rapture! Nitai began to roar while blissfully dancing with Gopal.

One time Madhavananda Ghosa began to perform kirtan describing Krsna’s dana-lila. The sweet singing of Madhavananda and the poetic descriptions of the dana-lila made Nitaichand exhibit all of the sattvika-bhavas within His body simultanously as He danced like one intoxicated. The gestures He made while dancing were like flashes of lightning,  His arms and legs moved with unparalleled grace. His highly expressive eye movements, His sweet smiling, wild laughter, and the shivering and quaking of His head, provided a feast for ears and eyes of the Vaisnavas. Bringing His two beautiful lotus feet together He would then jump in such a way that completely captivated ones mind. Whomever He would glance at would find themselves floating in an ocean of Krishna-prema, and by His merciful glance they forgot about the existence of their physical body. The level of spiritual attainment that is sought by great yogis and rishis was acheived that day by the ordinary men and women of Ariadaha, just by witnessing Nitai’s prema-bhakti for Sri Krishna.

Nityananda Prabhu organized the event of Dana lila in the house of Das Gadadhar. The temple was established by Das Gadadhar, and the site of the Dana lila, Das Gadadhar’s bhajan ashram, and his memorial samadhi can all be seen there today. There is also a small kund named Nityananda Sarovar behind the mandir. The mandir features the deities of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar, Sri Bala Gopal, Sri Sri Nitai Gaura, and Nityananda Shakti Sri Jahnava Thakurani.

The deities are all exceedingly stunning and gorgeous. Nitai is Gaura’s older brother  so Nitai is much larger and therefore more capable of taking care of His younger brother, Sri Gaurhari.  And what can I say about Sri Jahnava Ma (Ananga Manjari).  Her beauty is simply breathtaking!

The memorial samadhi of Das Gadadhar

Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar

The pathway from the mandir to the samadhi

Some palms overlooking the Ganga

Nityananda Sarovar located behind the mandir

Nitai and Gaura

The mandir

Nityananda Shakti Sri Jahnava Thakurani (Ananga Manjari)

Monument showing the place of Das Gadadhar’s bhajan ashram

Monument showing the place of the Dan lila performance by Nitaichand

Caonpy of creepers over the samadhi

Close-up of Das Gadadhar’s Memorial Samadhi

Sri Bala Gopal of Das Gadadhar that Nitaichand held to His chest and danced with